This invention relates in general to the construction of coke ovens and in particular to a new and useful coke oven door closure for closing the opening within a coke oven frame which includes improved means for holding the sealing diaphragm in position.
A coke oven door is disclosed in German OS No. 30 44 703. According to that disclosure, one or two sealing diaphragms are firmly clamped between the door body and a continuous door plug holder, over the entire length of the coke oven door. To compensate for any unevenness of the sealing frame, the sealing diaphragms are pressed against the door frame by spring loaded plungers. This causes sharp bends in the diaphragms in the vicinity of the clamping locations or at provided weakening grooves. The more the diaphragms must be bent, the stronger are the springs that are needed and the stronger total forces must be taken up by the locking system of the coke oven door. In prior art doors of this kind, with firmly clamped sealing diaphragms, extreme bending of the diaphragm has frequently been observed, caused by the thermal deformation of the door body. The temperature differences within the door body frequently result in a deflection of the door body and diaphragm at locations both above and below an intermediate portion, from the door frame surface. These deflections must then be remedied by extreme ranges of spring action of the diaphragms. In the long run, such overloading may lead to leaks and material fatigue. Further, just above where the leveler door is provided, and at the foot stone in the zone of the firing hole, only little space is available so that the lever arms between the clamping location and the location where the sealing strip is applied to the diaphragm are very small.
Further known, from the German Utility model No. 79 13 785, is a coke oven door for high horizontal coke ovens, equipped with a sealing diaphragm and in which the door body carrying the refractory door plugs is assembled in the manner of a roller chain of two or more elements, with each element being pivotable about and below, about a horizontal hinge pin extending in the lontitudinal direction of the battery, and each hinge pin being supported by its ends on the lock hooks of the door frame. Such a door body is difficult to handle and needs many more locations where it must be locked to the door frame.